My ideal solution would be something like a semi-busy status - to all those who argue that they're worried about not being able to just sent random tells anymore: There already is a way to block tells and thats /busy. I'd like to see something similar with the exception that friends could still sent tells - if it works like busy, aka being something someone needs to turn on everytime they'd rather not get tells from strangers, I doubt it will have as much of a negative impact as you guys seem to fear... besides: It would be turned on by people who have no desire to chat with you, a stranger, in the first place.
The argument "But I want to talk to them, so they shouldnt be allowed to block me out" almost sounds like its approaching the line of harrassment... Maybe they dont want to answer your questions (and they have no obligations to do so - we can argue about people displaying the mentor-crown being an expection, but people without one really dont need to answer any question a stranger might have for them) or they dont care to hear that you like their glamour. Maybe they dont want to be social - they dont have to be, special not for someone elses sake.

There have been times when I'd been completly fine with friends sending me tells, but not anyone else - anyone remember the days when we got constant RMT-tells?